ACL Airshop, a key player in air cargo Unit Load Device (ULD) logistics solutions, has been serving the industry for 4 decades. Over the past 40 years, ACL Airshop has become a leading worldwide one-stop shop for leasing, sales, repair and fleet control of ULDs and cargo control products manufacturing for the aviation industry.
A technology-enabled worldwide provider of ULD, cargo control and air freight products and logistics services for the aviation industry, ACL Airshop offers a range of unique products to numerous leading passenger and airfreight carriers.
“Success is contagious. Customers choose to do business with companies that are in strong condition and have responsive teams of experts to handle their requirements. We are blessed with great people and an exceptionally good business model. With 2023 as the anniversary, we’ve been perfecting our service model for 4 decades,” Steve Townes, President & CEO, explained.
Worldwide presence
With more than 60,000 ULDs owned, maintained or leased by ACL Airshop, including air freight pallets and containers, the company operates from over 50 airport hub locations across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America.
One of the unique aspects of the company’s offerings is short-term rentals and leasing solutions for airlines’ cargo products requirements—that is where ACL Airshop has made its strongest reputation for Custom ULD Solutions.
That includes one-way leasing and convenient drop-off’s. Yet additionally, in the past several years the company has developed a large, growing portfolio of multi-year ULD management & logistics contracts with various air carriers.
Nowadays, the company maintains the largest independent inventory of lease-ready ULD assets in the industry for short-term solutions, and also has a growing array of longer-term ULD Management contracts.
The company’s strategic intent is to maintain market leadership in short-term solutions while expanding the recurring long-term revenues in fleet contracts.
“Short-term leasing is not easy, it’s a daily rugby scrum. But ACL Airshop has the ULD inventory, global network, and experienced staff to get it done very well 24/7/365. Couple that to an expanding array of long-term ULD management contracts and you have a whole new level of corporate strength,” Townes stated.
READ: ACL Airshop celebrates 40th anniversary
Digital-driven
Recent innovations in ULD Tracking solutions include ACL’s recently launched FindMyULD™ app and implementation of COREInsight’s Bluetooth logistics technology for its valued air carriers and cargo customers. And everything ACL does is backed by a commitment to its core values, a dedication to quality and its scalable, user-friendly technology.
Airlines worldwide have valuable assets in their Unit Load Devices (ULD), pallets, containers, as well as the cargo loaded in the ULD equipment. Keeping track of these assets can now be made easier and cheaper by tagging the ULD units using COREInsight®.
With a COREInsight tagged ULD supplemented with a suite of web based reports, a carrier can visually update their systems regarding allocation of the ULD as well as the shipments carried within the unit. You now see, in real-time, the location of ULDs and relationally the cargo loaded on or inside them.
“We had a strategic light-bulb moment in 2017 at the IATA symposium in Abu Dhabi. That’s when we teamed with CORE Technologies and became first-in-market with Bluetooth tracking and tracing. We already had our proprietary ULD Control system in place. We later developed the FindMyULD App. To be a market leader, a company must also be a technology leader. Our Digital Suite today is extraordinary, and incrementally improving every year as we go forward. It is a never-ending investment roadmap,” Townes added.
READ: Astral Aviation selects ACL Airshop as a strategic partner
Meeting your needs
ACL Airshop operates in five pillars of highly complementary business segments: ULD Leasing, ULD Sales, ULD Repair, ULD Control, and Cargo Products Manufacturing.
The company’s aforementioned short-term solutions satisfy myriad needs in the fast-paced frenetic global ecosystem of air cargo, while the long-term contracts yield cost-efficiency and stable logistics improvements for clients.
Looking to the future, the company will keep ramping-up its customer-focused plans around the world, investing in technology innovations, expanding its long-term contracts portfolio, remaining the market leader for short-term leasing solutions, and fostering a very high-performance culture as a strongly entrepreneurial employer.
“Voice of the Customer surveys tell us that ACL Airshop is on the right track, and highly responsive to customer requests. We want to be the Partner of Choice for customers who see unique value in how we do business for them, and the Employer of Choice for air cargo & aviation logistics zealots who love this industry,” Townes said.
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